Students showed off a variety of skills at William S. Covert Elementary School’s annual Mr. C’s Circus on Jan. 31.

Ringmaster Tom Cavalieu, a retired Covert gym teacher also known as Mr. C, started the event in 2001, and comes back each year to help put on the show.

The students practice the circus tricks for about five weeks leading up to the evening show, according to Chris Mekelburg, a gym teacher at Covert who served as one of the circus coordinators. The youngsters choose a favorite skill that they then focus on and perform on stage.

“The best thing is to be able to see that when the kids put the practice in and the preparation and really focus on something, that they’re able to get ready and perform,” Mekelburg said. “It always turns out really well and it’s really well-received.”

About 230 of the nearly 300 students in the school participated in the show, which has become a fun tradition for all involved.

“The students really do a great job in preparing,” Mekelburg said, “and with the execution the night of, you would think we prepared for a lot longer.”